‘Isn’t this too much…?’
Yes, I was going on a date, but was there really a need to dress up this much when the chance of things working out was so slim?
Since he had shown interest in me and even found the courage to ask me on a date, I knew I should meet him looking presentable and respectful, but this was… practically proposing!
And why they chose a suit, which wasn’t even needed for this date, was beyond me.
No matter how I looked at it, it was excessive.
I wanted to stop them halfway, but I couldn’t explain the full, detailed story behind it.
I tried to ask Cha Taeyang, the one person who knew the situation, to stop them, but what I got in return was:
‘Charge it all to me.’
I was terrified and insisted on paying, but Cha Taeyang, even knowing my conflicted feelings about the date, insisted on paying.
‘It’s fine, it’s fine. Even if you end up rejecting him, it’s better to go out looking sharp.’
‘Those guys, they want to make you look good, and they wish you well, but they also severely overdid it just to try and fleece me. It’s okay, you don’t need to feel burdened. Isn’t it a Guild Master’s duty to ensure his guild members have a fun day?’
‘And I buy my mentees a suit every time they graduate and leave, anyway. Just think of it as me buying you one a little early.’
Cha Taeyang had spent a good deal of money on unnecessary things, yet he was grinning happily.
I was grateful that he readily spent a large sum for me… but truthfully, he was also the one who instigated the other guild members into making things this way.
He ran his mouth about me meeting an amazing person, and that they’d be surprised if they knew who it was, and that I was receiving passionate advances.
All that talk led the other guild members to fire up their eyes and dedicate themselves to ‘Dressing Up Jung Jehee,’ convinced that ‘our youngest shouldn’t be overshadowed by such a person.’
It got so bad that at one point, I snapped and vowed that next time we sparred, I would hit him hard enough to make him gasp, channeling all the resentment of the day.
…Now, since I felt a degree of gratitude, about half of that vow was already canceled.
Before leaving the house, I stood in front of the mirror and examined myself.
‘Thanks to them, though… I look kind of decent.’
Currently, Eunseo and Eunyul in our house dress up very stylishly, but neither my mother nor I pay much attention to fashion.
I even got a lot of nagging about my clothes from Taewhan when I was younger.
Furthermore, since I had little social experience, I always relied on Taewhan or the madam for help when attending formal events.
But this time, the style was quite different since different people dressed me, and it strongly gave off the feeling of a ‘special day.’
The perfume I usually didn’t wear and the light makeup also added to the special feeling.
Feeling a little like showing off, I opened the door.
“Taewhan, I…! Huh.”
Facing the quiet living room, I remembered.
Taewhan had left early today, saying he had work.
He left in much the same manner as always, just a bit rushed.
Recalling his back as he left the front door, something suddenly welled up from deep within me, and I had to clamp my mouth shut.
‘…Does he even know I’m going on a date today?’
Since I haven’t mentioned it since that day, he might not know.
Though I deliberately avoided bringing up the topic…
“…”
My emotions were tangled.
I didn’t know if it was resentment, disappointment, or something else, but negative feelings were sprouting fiercely.
I almost ruffled my hair but managed to lower my hand.
I couldn’t ruin the hair that had been carefully brushed and styled.
I looked down at my feet, took a deep breath, and turned around.
‘…I’ll be late. Let’s go.’
Each step felt heavy, but I managed to walk.
The place I agreed to meet ‘Gray Coat’ was, surprisingly, a busy downtown area.
It was probably the first time in my life I had gone out to a busy area alone.
I felt very nervous among the crowds of people coming and going.
Especially because I could hear small whispers as people glanced at me.
Thankfully, they weren’t negative or recognizing me, just small signs of interest like ‘he’s cute,’ but still…
‘Wait a minute. Is it okay to meet him in a place like this?’
‘Gray Coat’ was a celebrity.
A very famous one, who hid his identity and had many secrets besides.
Especially after the incident where the malicious Hunters who had been stalking him were arrested, the past events were being re-examined and covered extensively in the news, drawing a lot of attention to him.
What if he got into trouble if he was seen with me?
I didn’t know what he would look like, but even if he wasn’t in his distinctive ‘Gray Coat’ attire, if he wore a mask to hide his face, his height and build alone would make him stand out.
“Jung Jehee.”
I was looking around, wondering if I should hide in a secluded spot, when I heard a voice calling me and footsteps approaching.
The voice was not the noisy static I had heard before.
It was a low, heavy male voice.
Perhaps in his mid-thirties.
“Ah, I…”
“I’m happy to meet you again.”
I knew just from hearing his voice.
This was the person I was waiting for.
It wasn’t that the voice itself was familiar, but the tone, manner of speaking, and the overall atmosphere.
I could be sure.
When I carefully looked up at him, he was not wearing a mask.
He was a man in his early to mid-thirties, similar to the voice.
To put it nicely, his face was ordinary; to put it badly, it was unremarkable.
“Your face…”
“As you might have guessed, this is not my real face.”
I expected it, just as he said.
There was a subtle sense of strangeness in his appearance.
This strangeness meant that the face was highly likely created using a ‘Transformation’ Artifact.
Transformation Artifacts, due to their potential for misuse, come with many restrictions.
One of them is that the face cannot be exactly the same as that of any existing person.
But because it’s impossible to be certain that the appearance isn’t exactly the same as someone who exists, even with great care, creators often add an artificial element to ensure anyone can feel the strangeness.
Things like moles, irises, or sometimes very inventive methods.
Among those, the man in front of me had an ‘artificially unremarkable’ face.
His overall impression was blurry, making it obvious to anyone that the appearance was created with an Artifact.
However, since people often use such artifacts in a world where monsters rampage and injuries are common, the appearance itself probably wouldn’t draw attention.
His height and build were the only potential issues.
‘But somehow…’
Strangely, this face didn’t feel unfamiliar.
Even though this was the first time I was seeing a face covered by a Transformation Artifact.
While features are added to make sure the face is ‘not exactly the same as anyone else,’ the design usually incorporates a small portion of the original appearance.
If that was the case, it meant I had seen him before…
“I apologize. If I could, I would have liked to come as my true self, but due to circumstances, I cannot reveal my identity yet.”
It seemed I had been staring for too long.
I hadn’t even greeted him properly; I had acted rudely.
I quickly waved my hands.
“Oh, no. I understand! You don’t need to apologize.”
I belatedly gave a polite bow and offered my apologies for the day, which helped soothe the surge of guilt I felt.
‘I’m not being sincere either…’
I was here because I somehow ended up coming, despite the very high probability of rejection.
In fact, I had intended to reject him and turn back the moment I saw his face, but the reason I remained silent was the advice Cha Taeyang had given me before we parted ways yesterday.
‘Jehee, don’t just outright reject Gray Coat the moment you meet him.’
For me, who had been contemplating how to reject him throughout the entire ‘Dressing Up Jung Jehee’ session, this was a bolt from the blue.
When I asked him, mouth agape, why, Cha Taeyang told me with a very serious face:
‘When you go on a blind date, even if you see the person’s face and realize, “This isn’t it!” it’s common to at least have dinner and coffee before parting ways.’
‘Just enjoy it. It’s your first date. Gray Coat was brave enough to ask you out because he wanted to date you, so just go along with it once.’
‘And you still don’t know your own heart, do you? You should give Gray Coat a chance, too. He’s a good guy.’
The smile he gave me at the end looked subtly mischievous, which made me uneasy, but… if I were in Gray Coat’s shoes, having shown up with high expectations, I would also feel angry and greatly disappointed if the other person left without even having a meal with me.
So, I decided to follow Cha Taeyang’s advice.
Since I wasn’t officially dating anyone yet, and feelings could change, it seemed better to spend some time getting to know each other rather than not giving him a chance at all.
